My dog is hunched, weak, shaking, and crying. Why is he in pain?

May sounds quite uncomfortable! A hunched back stance and trembling can often occur with some back conditions, such as intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), discospondylitis or fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE). May should be examined by her vet and assessed for the presence of neurological deficits as well as the location of the pain, as this will help to guide her treatment. Until you are able to take May to her vet, keep her confined to a very small room with no furniture or to a crate. She should not be running, jumping, or playing because this could exacerbate any back condition or injury. Do not give her any medication - there are no safe over the counter pain medications for dogs.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Gage! I would worry that Gage has hurt his back or neck. This is how they tend to act. They also don’t jump up in furniture like normal and avoid the stairs. They cry when touched, picked up or move. I would take him in to your vet today before the holiday for an exam. I treat neck and back pain with anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants and pain medications. I wish Gage a speedy recovery!

If the kyphosis is new, I would be concerned the symptoms are related. since Nutmeg is not responding to treatment, I recommend to preform further diagnostics. Based upon your description, I would be concerned Nutmeg has abdominal pain, spinal pain or perhaps pressure on her internal organs. Top differentials include: pancreatitis hepatitis (many potential causes) foreign object in gastrointestinal tract intervertebral disc disease or injury internal abscess fluid in abdomen tumor/cancer in abdomen Some potential diagnostics including imaging (ultrasound would be preferred over x-rays), bloodwork and a blood test specifically for the pancreatic enzymes like a CPL. I hope this gets figured out quickly and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor baby. It sounds like he may have injured something. It is common for them to injure their back or neck and act this way. I would have your vet look st him today. Your vet will be able to localize the pain and give him the appropriate pain meds to help him feel better. If it is his lower back, you vet may also prescribe him a stool softener so it is easier for him to have a bowel movement. Your vet will also be able to do X-rays if needed. I do not recommend to give any human pain meds as most of these are toxic to dogs. I hope this helps and he starts to feel better soon!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Callie. Did she have diarrhea when she defecated today? If so, she could be experiencing abdominal pain. If not, then I worry that she has neck and/or back pain as this is common in small breed dogs. This can be excruciating and cause the dog to cry out. Most are hesitant to jump or do stairs. They will stand or walk with a hunched posture. I recommend that she sees a veterinarian today. She will be examined and the source of her problem located. Based on these results, the veterinarian may recommend testing such as blood work and x-rays. This information will guide treatment. In the meantime, keep her quiet and do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

Hello! That crouched stance is usually a sign of either back or abdominal pain, which can also cause decreased behavior. I would recommend having him get a physical exam from a veterinarian. If they are able to localize simple arthritis pain, they may be able to give him some anti-inflammatory or pain medications. If they are worried about a serious back problem or abdominal pain, they will likely recommend x-rays to look at his intestinal tract and spine and possibly bloodwork to check his major organ functions. Then, they can make additional testing or treatment recommendations based on what they find. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Poor Zeke! I'm so sorry he's having a hard time. It sounds like he has some back and/or neck pain. The biggest concern I would have as to what may be causing his pain would be intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), where the shock absorbing discs between the back bones bulges and causes compression on the spinal cord. This causes great pain and if the problem progresses, can potentially lead to paralysis. It could also be a muscle injury, an infection along his spine (diskospondylitis) , or even a tumor causing pain. Please avoid giving him pain mediation at home, as this will limit the safe options your vet has for pain when you take him to the vet. Additionally, if your vet finds that steroids are indicated, it could set up a problem if he's received aspirin or any other OTC pain med or anti-inflammatory at home. Keep him in a confined space, and take him to your vet tomorrow, or better yet seek emergency care tonight if its available; so that he can start getting some pain relief. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!